Railroad-switch



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WM. N. RAINES, OF THOMSON, GEORGIA.

RAILROAD-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 8,557, dated December 2, 1851.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM N. RAINES, of Thomson, in the county of Columbia and State of Georgia, have invented ya new and useful Improvement in the Construction of Railroad-Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full an-d clear description thereof, reference being had t-o the annexed drawings, making part of this specification.

Figure 1, is a top or vertical view of the switch as adjusted to the turnout rails of the track. Fig. 2, is ditto, the switch being adjusted to the main rail of the track.

The same letters on Ythe gures indicate the same parts.

I am aware that switches have been used composed of short rails corresponding with the turn out rails; as well as additional branches furnished with inclined planes to receive the flanges of the car wheels between said short rails and branches to allow the train of cars to pass over the main rails, when the switch is adjusted to the turn-out rails. And also providing the switches on the outsides thereof and neXt to the inclined planes with guards to keep the flanges of the wheels in the grooves of the inclined plane. But I am not aware of the construction and use of a stationary casting so constructed as to serve the purpose of the ordinary frog and switch in connection wit-h the turn-out side of the main railsaid stationary casting having formed thereon a section connecting permanently the main rail and turnoutand also ,furnished on the inside thereof with a guard, the object of which being especially to guide the anges of the wheels in a straight line in passing over said stationary casting when the switch is adjusted to the turn-out-as in Fig. 1, and the opposite wheels are rising the inclined plane between the turn-out and main rail. Nor am I aware that a switch furnished on the inside thereof with a guard to guide the flanges of the wheels over the switch to the main rail has been employed and combined with the movable casting in the manner represented,-whereby the single switch is made to connect with the turn-out rail and, at the same time the cars being permitted to pass thereover from the main rail4 in either direction as seen in Fig. 2, and much time saved in not requiring attendance in running trains out of the side lines into the main track by not being required to adjust the switch to the turnout rails.

a o are the main rails of the track.

b, b, are the turnout rails.

c is the permanent casting connecting with the main rail a., and turn-out ZJ by the short rail CZ, and containing the inside guard e, and having placed thereon between the guard e, and connecting rail el, a frog f forming an angular termination of the main-rail a on the stationary casting, whereby the latter is made to constitute an auX- iliary switch and frog to the turn-out rails g is the switch also composed of a single casting and pivoted at L and provided with a groove, the bottom whereof forms an in clined plane z' of suflicient depth to receive the flanges of the wheels when the cars are running in the direction of the arrow 1/ and the switch g has been accidentally left set for the turn out or side line as shown in Fig. 1, whereby the flange of each wheel will pass from the inclined plane z' over the broad surface till it reaches the main rail a at h, when the flanges will drop on the inside of the main rail. During the passage of the flanges over the surface lo, the guard e of the permanent casting c serves to guide the wheels over said permanent casting in a straight line and thus prevent the train passing laterally 0H the surface c of the switch g, said guard e fitting against the inside of the flanges of the wheels, while the train of cars is passing.

On the casting g, and adjacent to the groove of the inclined plane z', there is formed a solid surface Z, the level of the upper surface of which being coincident with that of the rails a, Z), the use of which in connection with the surface 7c is to form a continuation of the main rails a, when the switch is adjusted thereto as represented in Fig. 2, and also a connection of the turnout and main rail as shown in Fig. 1, over which the tread of the wheels passes in either direct-ion on and to the turnout rail 6 in the direction of the arrow yt.

Between the solid surface Z and guard m, there is cast a wedge shaped projection or frog n, for the purpose of forming a connection of the turn-out rail b with the switch g when the train of cars is passing from the turn-out or side line o on to the main rail a: as shown by the arrow y2 Fig. 2.

m is the guard cast on the inside of the switch g. The especial use of this guard m is to guide the wheels of the train over the switch g in a straight line, when passing in the direction of the arrow ys Fig. 2, whereby the train is prevented from moving laterally to the left or passing on to the turnout rails b, and also whereby the tread of the wheels passing over the permanent casting is prevented from striking the point of the frog or wedge shaped projection f, and for this purpose a portion of the inside of the guard m must be on a line coincident with the side of the frog or wedge shaped projection n, nearest the outer rail as shown by the dotted line s s, and the frog or wedge shaped projection, f of the permanent casting must be longer than the projection or frog n of the casting g, whereby the flanges of the wheels passing over the latter are made to pass between the fro-g or projection f and the guard e, before the flanges of the wheels passing over the switch g leave the guard m or pass the dotted lines m, and thus perfect safety is insured to t-he train in passing in either direction over the switch; or from the turn-out rails b in the direction of the arrow y2, Fig. 2.

The switch casting g is connected and operated by the usual switch bar 0 and ball lever p.

Having thus described my invention and improvement and pointed out the difference between the same and other railroad switches, what I claim therein as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat-ent, -is- 1. The combination of the stationary single casting c with the single casting or switch g, each having a guard on the inside thereof, whereby the said permanent single stationary casting c is made to subserve the purpose of the ordinary frog and auxiliary switch in connection with lthe turn-out side of the main track as described.

2. I also claim providing the movable casting g on the inside thereof with a guard m for the purpose of guiding the train of cars over the switch in a straight line when running in the direction of the arrow g3, and thus prevent the cars from passing on to the turn-out rails, when the switch is in the position shown in Fig. 2, the projection or frog f, being of suflicient length in connection with guard m to guide the train on to the main rail a, as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name before two subscribing witnesses.

WM. N. RAINE S.

Witnesses:

WM. P. ELLIOT, JOHN F. CLARK. 

